Table



M. THUM Feb. 17, 1931.

TABLE Filed May 18. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l DI VI 0 m Mn R E 0 Vt W Mr A aw 4 m a b s 1 4 e L a 13 I M. THUM Feb. 17, 1931.

TABLE Filed May 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY INVENTOP MMZL'Y: BY

.r II: ll .H.

Patented Feb. 17, 1931 MARTIN THUM, or ROCHESTER, NEW YonK TABLEApplication filed May 18, 1927. Serial No. 192,439.

The present invention relates to tables and an object thereof is toprovide a table which will automatically sustain its supports or legs inengagement with a supporting surface notwithstanding an unevenness insaid surface. Another object of the invention is to provide a foldingtable of novel construction which may be compactly folded in a smallspace. V 7

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts andcombinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described; thenovel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: I

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a table constructed in accordance withthis invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of a table shown in Fig. 1; r

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the table in folded position;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the table with the legs or supports inhorizontalsection Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View of the sup-' portingmeans looking from the upper side of the same; v a

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the manner in which thefloating supporting means is mounted Fig. 7 is a central verticalsectionthrough I the table Fig. 8 is a side View of the table showingthe floating support in vertical sections; and

Fig. 9 is a bottom view of another embodiment of the table.

I 1 Each hinging device, in this instance, em-

bodies a central leaf 3 extending across the center piece 1 and two sideleaves 4 hinged at opposite sides at 5 to the cross or center leaf 3.Preferably three of such hinging de a vices are employed, two nearopposite ends of the center piece 1 and the other near the middle ofsaid'center piece.

To the center piece 1 a supporting means is rigidly connectedcomprising, in this instance, two uprights 6 connected by a lowerhorizontal piece 7 and an upper horizontal piece 8, the uprights andboth connecting pieces, in this instance, being made of tubu lar metalstock of rectangular cross section.

The supporting means has its plane at a a.

slight angle to the length of the center piece 1 and is, in thisinstance, supported on the center piece by three braces 9, two of whichare welded at 25 to the upper c'ross pieces 8 of the fixed support andhave braced portions 10 extending therefrom and secured by screws 11 tothe center piece 1, these screws 11 also serving to secure a portion ofthe hinged plate to the center piece. The other side of the horizontalcross piece 8 abuts one of the hinge knuckles 5. The brace portions 10extend from opposite sides of the cross piece 8 thus giving to thesupport the angular relation to the center piece 1. .The other of'thethree bracesindioated at 12 has two is mounted to float or movevertically with reference to the center piece and the supportlng meansfor the latter, and comprises, in

this instance,two uprights 15 connected by two horizontal pieces 16 and17, the horizontal piece 16 being spaced from the lower ends a of theuprights 2 and the horizontal piece'l7 being spaced from the upperendsof the uprights. The distances between the lower face of thehorizontal piece 16 and the upper face of the. piece 17 is less than thedistance between the horizontal pieces 7 and 8 of the fixed supportingmeans so that the horizontal pieces 16 and 17 may lie betwen thehorizontal pieces 7 and 8. A pivot rod18 with a head 18 passes throughthe horizontal pieces 7 and 8 and also through the horizontal pieces 16and 17. This permits the floating supporting means not only to movevertically with reference to the'center'piece 1 and the fixed supportingmeans thereof, but also to swing on the rod 18 as an axis in order thatthe floating supporting means may be either folded under the centerpiece as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so as to permit the leaves 2 to droporswing under the leaves as-shown'in the table rests, and, as the upperend to the uprights merely abut the leaves 2, the

leaves also rise and fall with the floating supporting means. Of course,this may place the leaves at slight angles to the center piece but thisis so slight that it is not noticed, washer 19 may be arranged about therod 18 between the cross piece 7 and the cross piece 16 to preventabrasion between these two parts.

The invention as shown in Fig. 9 has been embodied in a rectangulartable in which the center piece 1 runs diagonally of a table top as awhole and the side pieces 2 are in the form of right angle triangularpieces. The hypothenuse of the triangles are hinged to the sides of thecenter piece 1.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided a tablewith a center piece and hinged leaves on opposite sides thereof, thecenter piece having a fixed supporting means and the leaves having acommon supporting means mounted to float relatively to the fixedsupporting means so that the table as a whole will adapt itself to anuneven supporting surface.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a table the combination with a center piece, leaves hinged toopposite sides of the center piece, and a support for the center piececomprising two legs, two horizontal portions connecting the legs, avertical rod extending between the horizontal portion between the twolegs, of a support for the leaves embodying two legs, two horizontalportions connecting said legs and mounted to turn on the upright rod andalso to move vertically on the rod, said horizontal portions of thesupport for the leaves being positioned between the horizontal portionsof the support for the center piece.

2. A table comprising a center piece, leaves hinged to opposite sides ofthe center piece, two legs, two connecting bars between said two legs, arod connected to said connecting bars between the two legs, bracesextending outwardly from opposite sides of the upper connecting bar atopposite ends of the bar and secured to the under side of the centerpiece, and a support for the two leaves mounted to swing on saidvertical rod and also having vertical movement on the rod to permit theleaves to rise and fall so that the table may rest in a level conditionon the surface on which it stands.

3. A table comprising a center piece, two leaves hinged to the centerpiece, two supports for the table both adapted to rest upon a surfaceupon which the table is supported, one of the supports being rigidlysecured to the center piece, and means for supporting the other supportto move relatively to the first mentioned support to a position tosupport both of the hinged leaves in extended position and to rise andfall relatively to the xed support to permit the table to level itselfon the surface on which it is supported.

4. A table comprising a center piece, two leaves hinged to the centerpiece, two supports, one supporting the center piece and the othersupporting the two leaves, and means connecting said supports forrelative vertical movement so that the table may level itself on thesurface on which it rests.

5. A table comprising a center piece, two leaves hinged to the centerpiece, two supports, one supporting the center piece and the othersupporting the two leaves, and means supporting the leaf support formovement relatively to the center piece support to a position under thecenter piece to permit the leaves to swing downwardly and also forvertical movement to permit the table to level itself on the surface onwhich thetable rests.

6. A table comprising a center piece, two leaves hinged to the centerpiece, a support rigidly secured to the center piece and having two legsarranged at the opposite ends of the center piece, a second supporthaving two legs arranged on opposite sides of the first named support,and means supporting said second support for movement about a verticalaxis and also in the direction of its axis so as to swing the two legsunder the leaves to support the leaves in an extended position or finderthe center piece to permit the leaves to rop.

7 A table comprising a. center piece, leaves hinged to opposite sides ofthe center piece, a support for the center piece rigidly secured to thelatter, a support for the two leaves, and means supporting the secondsupport to swing about a vertical axis intersecting the center piece andalso to move in the direction of said vertical axis.

MARTIN TI-IUM.

